Man who threatened to "shoot up school" arrested in Springdale

Police respond to elementary school after parent makes 'threat'

Springdale police have arrested the man wanted for threatening to "shoot up" an elementary school.

Denis Dean, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney said Sammie Polite turned himself in to police Friday. He will be booked into the Washington County later this afternoon.

Police said they received a call from the assistant principal at Parson Hills Elementary that a student told a teacher her father, Sammie Polite, was going to "going to take a gun, shoot up the halls and make it a silent night at Parson Hills."

Police said the student's aunt also called and informed them of the "threat."

Polite faces felony charges of terrorist threatening.

Students at Parson Hills were kept inside most of the day because of the threat. It also put Holcomb Elementary in Fayetteville on alert because police said a student there has ties to Polite..

Police said they put surveillance on the home address of the child as they searched for the suspect.

Detectives began an in-depth investigation into the claims. It was later determined that the threats were made earlier in the week, and Polite was now in Portland, Arkansas.

Police said Polite was contacted and asked to drive to the local Sheriffs Office to confirm his location, and he complied.

Detectives told prosecutors that Polite lived in Fayetteville for several years, but has connections in Ashley County.

According to deputy prosecuting attorney, Dennis Dean, Polite is still at large with police in Springdale and deputies in Ashley County looking for him.

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